Notes has been named in The Gonzo Papers...

Kilroy over at Fear And Loathing - The Gonzo Papers has included Notes That Touch The Heart in his "Blog Village Edition - A Hitchhiker's Guide To The Blogosphere".

Kilroy named 32 blogs that share in making up a special online blogging community! At the time of this posting, 246 blogs make up BLOG VILLAGE. Make that 247 another Village has joined the community!

Along with listing your blog in this Top 100 Site, you will be asked (sooner or later) to be interviewed as the Featured Villager. These articles are posted in the VILLAGE NEWS, a community blog that keeps us updated on BLOG VILLAGE news.

At this point the BLOG VILLAGE Interview Team consists of The Gatekeeper and myself. I am trying to recruit Kilroy, so drop by The Gonzo Papers and let him know that you want him on the team. If you would like to join BLOG VILLAGE, Add Your Site. Please keep in mind that you will be accepted after approval by BLOG VILLAGE Administrator, Dirty Butter.

Thank you Kilroy for adding my blog to your year end installment of A Hitchhiker's Guide To The Blogosphere.

A New Camera for Christmas!!!

My sons, Travis and Tony gave me
an awesome new camera for Christmas. It is a Canon EOS 30D Digital and has so many bells and whistles, it will take me a little bit to learn everything...in the meantime please bear with me as I take pictures anyway!

Neddy the Teddy...

Neddy the Little Teddy

is a little brown bear,

That is looking for just that

right outfit to wear.

Browns and blues,

and greens and reds,

Each with a matching hat

for his little bear head.

Trains and horses,

and books and fruit,

Are on each page with each

little bear suit.

Cut and snip on the

vegetable and flowers,

And have lots of fun

for hours and hours!

Copyright 2006 – Janey Loree

This little paper doll book is available in PJ's Corner.

Featured BLOG VILLAGERS in our Community Blog...

Travel Memories 'n' Fun design by PJ's Corner

In an effort to get to know my fellow BLOG VILLAGERS better, I came across a wonderful idea. Why not interview them! That way I would have a focused way to understand (a little bit) what makes them tick, why they started their blogs, read some very interesting posts, learn new and interesting stuff, and enjoy tons of photos!

Don't get me wrong, the FEATURED VILLAGER is the brainchild of Rosemary, aka Dirty Butter; this is my way of helping bring about the VILLAGE atmosphere that she is nurturing in BLOG VILLAGE!

Look for the Travel Memories 'n' Fun image in the sidebar, where you will find a list of my interviews with the FEATURED VILLAGERS.

Keep in mind that Sheila at the Alabama Kitchen Sink was the first FEATURED VILLAGER, and Rosemary the BLOG VILLAGE Administrator was third, while yours truly was second and fourth. Even though I did not interview Sheila, Rosemary or myself, I will add us to the list of Fellow VILLAGERS in the sidebar! Follow the links to the first write-ups in the VILLAGE NEWS.

Bill @ New England Photos is my first interview and a couple more are on their way!

Fruit 'n' Vegetable Delite

I would like to share a recipe with you. It is of a dish that tastes delicious! I have called it "My Ambrosia" from the very first time I created it in Cheyenne, Wyoming back in 1995. I was working for a western catalog company, called "Cheyenne Outfitters" and was tired of taking the same old stuff to work for lunch. If someone has already created this dish, I am as yet still unaware of it.

1 pint of cottage cheese
7 cherry or grape tomatoes
3 Ortega chiles
Lite salt (sprinkle to taste)

Combine the ingredients after cutting the tomatoes in halves or fourths and chipping the Ortega chiles into small pieces. Salt* the dish to your liking. Serve with sandwiches, sliced vegetables, baked chips and a glass of raspberry iced tea.

*When I could find it I would season with "McCormick's Vegetable Delight", however just a little salt enhances the flavor just a well, if not better.

N3T'sH helps Blogger, Janey Loree become a featured blogger over in BLOG VILLAGE!

This blog was set up as a personal blog and so far I have kept it as a collection of poems, music, memories, and pictures that make up the person I am. The members of my immediate family have played a very big part of who I am, touching my heart in the things they have done!

Read more about why I started this blog over in BLOG VILLAGE...

Tag, You're It!

I haven't played tag since I taught my two boys and two nieces how to play when they were little! As Sheila writes in her "Tag, You're It! blog post over on Alabama Kitchen Sink, I am supposed to post five things that you don't know about me...so here goes...

1. I recorded two western songs in Nashville back in 1996 and wish that I had insisted that my dad be my backup singer. He should have been the one recording! You can listen to both songs by using the links in my sidebar...
   
2. I am supposed to be working on my cousins' website instead of trying to list five things about myself...
3. My first car was a 1970 AMC Hornet. It was white with red interior and I had to earn the money for brand new tires, a new 8-track, a new paint job and my dad and I added red pin stripping.
4. I was born on the same day as John F. Kennedy, Jr., and I was a 10.5 lb turkey (baby!!!)
   
5. I've been playing the piano for 40 years. Yikes!!!
   

I tag: JillBeth, Jan, Steeljaw, & Jackie

"Shared Memories at Christmas"

Christmas is for reflecting on the memories of the heart,
As we take each one out and examine ever part,
From the precious, to the cute, and the looks so serene,
To those special one timers that created quite a scene.
Memories take pictures of the blessing that we share,
As we wish you "Merry Christmas" and a Happy New Year!!!
By Janey Loree Fisher

Hearst Castle - Tour 2

Well, I toured Hearst Castle the day before Thanksgiving! After TnT (my sons, Travis and Tony) got off work Wednesday morning at 6am, we headed over to the coast. Listening to "Willey's Place" on XM Radio 5 and 50's music all the way over added to the fun day! TnT sang along with every single song. Songs like Ned Miller's "From a Jack to A Queen", Faron Young's "Alone With You", Johnny Cash's " Folsom Prison Blues", Asleep at the Wheel's "Bob Will is Still the King", Paul Anka's "Puppy Love", were just a few of the songs we heard on our 2 1/2 hour drive to San Simeon, CA. I usually sing along, but today I was drinking in the scenes, sounds, and the fact that I had a day of being with my two sons! There was one old cowboy song I never had the pleasure of hearing and that was Tex Ritter's "Just Beyond the Moon".
As Eddy Arnold was singing "Cattle Call", we drove right past the ranch where TnT recently did some "day riding". They told me which fences they had mended, where they drove the cattle from one pasture to the next or up to the ranch house. We drove by "Rancho No Gotto" and a sign that stated "farm eggs" were for sell and saw several dear grazing in the fields along the highway.

We arrived at the visitors center about an hour before our tour bus would leave to amble up the hill to the castle. When Trav picked up our reservation tickets, he found out that there was room on an earlier tour, so we cut looking through the gift shop and museum short to start Tour 2 that included 404 steps!

As we rode in the back of the bus, a piped in tour guide told us the interesting facts about the ranch land that we were driving through. At a time in the past we would have seen the exotic animals that William Randolph Hearst imported to his ranch. He didn't inherit the ranch until he was 56 years old and along with Julia Morgan, the first women architect to enter and graduate from Ecole Nationale et Speciale des Beaux-Arts in Paris, completed the "house" that six-year-old William had dreamed would sit at the top of the mountain where his family would camp to get above the fog line. TnT added that we were going through the weanling pasture.

The tour of the castle's upper bedrooms, ceilings, library, home office, kitchen, and pools took 70 minutes. As we walked through on the designated blue carpet runners, we were able to look into the past of an American Newspaper mogul's life during the roaring 20's!

After the tour, I asked TnT what was their favorite piece of furniture and they both replied that it was the twin writing desks (of which my pictures were blurred...grrr!) that were in the living room outside the Doge's bedroom! I have to agree with them, the desks were ornately carved and had a romantic sounding name that only the tour guide could pronounce. The name meant "writing among the little images". The desk was tall enough to stand at and write! Their favorite room besides the library and home office was accessed by a flight of curved, carved stairs up to the loft bedroom. Mine was the bell tower bedroom that was ornately clad in gold. It was refered to it as "sleeping in a musical jewelry box"! Oh, and we loved the teak wood carvings that ran along under the eaves of the castle!

OH! We saw about 8 head of zebra on the Hearst Ranch as we headed down Highway 1 to Cambria were we grabbed something small to eat, because we were going to meet my brother at "Pier Side" in Pismo Beach. In Cambria, we browsed an old antique store and then headed to Pismo, because Tony had heard there was a shoppe that had a lot of "John Deere" items for sell. We noticed that the waves were larger up the coast at San Simeon.

In Pismo we had an hour to wait for my brother, so we ended up bowling. Well, Travis and Tony did, I didn't think that it was such a good idea with the rods in my back! I wanted to though...really bad...I used to love to bowl. I was doing really good after all the steps that we climbed in the Castle, and I didn't want to press my luck!

My brother called as he passed the bowling alley and we met him down at Pier Side. We were taken upstairs (more steps!) to sit at a table that looked out at the ocean along side the pier! I ordered their famous clam chowder in a bread bowl, while TnT ordered cheeseburgers and garlic fries and my brother ordered their Shrimp Louie Salad with bleu cheese! We enjoyed the view, the company and the food until it was time to head home.

We had two more hours of driving to get home, while listening to the Capris sing "Morse Code of Love" and Percy Faith conduct "A Summer Place" on the XM Radio, feed the horses, check on Katy and the puppies, tell my parents about our day, watch "Cars" again, this time with my brother, and finally drop into bed! What a wonderful day with my family. Chock full of memories to store!!!

Good bye, Sugar Bear...

November 13, 2006 - November 16, 2006

I write this post with heavy heart. Sugar Bear passed away tonight. She was going down hill all day and spent most of it in my hand next to my heart. I held her, caressed her, and tried to stimulate her as she was drawing her last breath. As she was being buried, these words formed in my mind to voice what I felt in my heart:

I didn't give up hope until hope was gone...
And can't help but wonder..."What did I do wrong"?
As I shed many, many a tear,
For the one I had grown to love as Sugar Bear.

Good bye, Sugar Bear...

"Lets Say Thanks In support of our troops"

UPDATE: I have received several comments that I have passed on to the Let's Say Thanks people. Please follow the link to the "Let's Say Thanks" website to create your postcard!

A friend of mine sent this special message to me. On the "Let's Say Thanks.com" website it is stated that XEROX is supporting a program to send postcards to our troops thanking them for their sacrifices. The postcards are designs submitted by our young children across America, and pre-written or personalized messages are printed and sent to our troops. My favorite is this postcard by 12 year old Erika. She lives in Anderson, IN and pictures a representative from the Air Force, Army, Marine, and the Navy! "Let's Say Thanks.com" is a vehicle to carry our thoughts and prayers to the men and women of the armed forces that are working hard to keep American the land of the free and the home of the brave!!!
My message to our troops: "Thank you for remembering 9/11 and for doing something about it!"

"The Final Inspection"

The Final Inspection

The soldier stood and faced God, which must always come to pass.

He hoped his shoes were shining, just as brightly as his brass.

Step forward now, you soldier, how shall I deal with you?

Have you always turned the other cheek? To my church have you been true?

The soldier squared his shoulders and said, no Lord, I guess I ain't.

Because those of us who carry guns, can't always be a saint.

I've had to work most Sundays, at times my talk was tough.

And sometimes I've been violent, because the world is awfully rough.

But, I never took a penny, that wasn't mine to keep.

Though I worked over time, when the bills just got too steep.

And I never passed a cry for help, though at times I shook with fear.

And sometimes God, forgive me, I've wept unmanly tears.

I know I don't deserve a place, among the people here.

They never wanted me around, except to calm their fears.

If you've a place for me here, Lord, it needn't be so grand.

I never expected or had to much, but if you don't I'll understand.

There was a silence all around the throne, where the saints had often trod,

As the soldier waited quietly, for the judgement of his God.

Step forward now, you soldier, you've borne your burdens well.

Walk peacefully on heaven's streets, you've done your time in hell.

This poem was written by Sgt. Joshua Helterbran of the 224th Engineer Battalion. It was recited from memory to me by my son, Anthony Wayne. He found this poem in the prison newspaper where he and his brother, Travis Lee are correction officers.

Note:

(After two years of searching for the author of this amazing poem, there was contact with the soldier's mother. The writer granted permission to continue displaying his work that has touched so many hearts and souls.)

After searching the web for more information on poem, I found a second part!

Today's Clean Laugh from Crosswalk.com

*EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH*

Chuck Rogers, a self employed marketing consultant, has won his company's 'Employee of the Month Award' for a record 23 months in a row. Said Rogers, "I began the award program nearly two years ago when my psychologist and business coach suggested that I needed to create a company plan for maintaining employee moral and building self-esteem."

Rogers, who works alone from his home office, has received 100% of the votes for the 'Employee of the Month Award' since its inception. Said Rogers, "It feels really good every time I win the award. I am always surprised and flattered when the winner is announced. But the best part is that I get to use the special parking spot set aside for the winner. It is right next to the house. You can't imagine what a benefit that has been!" excerpt from "You Make Me Laugh" newsletter from Crosswalk.com

Notes That Touch The Heart poem...

Notes that touch the heart
Are meant to be set apart,
To find a way to remind,
So that we don't get too blind,
To the hearfelt notes from music and life,
That if cherished soften the strife,
Along with memories from the past,
Written down here so that they will last.
Written by Janey Loree Fisher - November 2, 2006
Copyright 2006

My Mother...

My mother...Phyllis Mae Richardson Fisher is my friend. She has always been there for me. When I was little I knew that when I got home from school, she would be there and she would have something special for my brother and I to snack on. What stands out in my memory is "Soapapilla's" when I was in the 2nd grade, and Armenian Cucumber's soaked in vinegar in the 6th grade! Our home was always spic and span and our yard was a gardener's paradise. She made my clothes for me when I was in kindergarten through 2nd grade, made me take piano lessons, made paper dolls for me, and let me watch her while she painted. After I had back surgery in 2001, she came out of retirement and started a home-based business with me.

Reflections of the Past in Purple...

This still life picture reflects the past in a collage of some of the purple items that I have gathered over the years. The purple slab of rock was a birthday present from my brother. (He knows that purple is my favorite color!) He bought it from our Great-Uncle Gail who lives down in Ajo, AZ. Uncle Gail is known as the "Butterfly Man" in the rock world. He creates butterflies out of many different rocks, and his creations are in the Ajo Historical Society Museum up the road from the Greenway Mansion.
The purple butterfly pictured here is "Fourite" with brass legs. It free stands on four legs. "Plastic" purple flowers lay in a purple glass dish that once belonged to Uncle Gail's brother, Uncle Bob and his wife Aunt Alma. The two purple bottles belonged to Uncle Bob and Aunt Alma as well. The purple "hippie" shoe was carved by Uncle Gail's older brother, Walter, who is my maternal grandfather. He carved the shoe out of pine, when I was in the 4th grade in nineteen sixty something! Then my mother dyed the shoe in purple food coloring and I glued it to a slab of moss agate that I bought in my Uncle Gail's rock shop! My grandfather carved the high heeled shoe in 1971. The last item is a "Lucky Locket Kiddle" made in Hong Kong by Mattel in 1966. The patent was still pending! The one pictured here is one that I found about 10 years ago in an antique store in Cheyenne, WY. The original one that my mother bought me is glued to a cigar box (that was painted lavendar) and sprinkled with glitter. I would love to find one with the little doll that was inside! I think that the one I got when I was little had lavendar or purple hair...not sure though! I still have the box.

A Wedding Poem by Janey Loree Fisher

This wedding card is sent with a special prayer,
That when one calls, the other will always be there.
Stay honest with each other with nothing to hide,
And no matter the issue-stay on the same side.
Remember you have promised
“until death do us part”,
And that problems are solved,
when viewed from the heart.
By Janey Loree Fisher
Copyright 2006

Forgiven...

I watched a movie on the Slueth channel yesterday that got to me. Randy Quaid played a man (Dillon) that was sentenced to death for murdering three young women. He was sentenced to die in the electric chair. He woke up on the morticians table, to the chagrine of the mayor who won his candidacy because of his stand on the death penalty.
The warden called a psychiatrist in to evaluate the prisoner because Dillon claimed he had no memory of his past. He passed the psych test with no aggressive tendencies, causing a stay of his re-electrocution until he was re-evaluated. Also Dillon was having visions that helped the FBI solve some past and future cases using the sketches he gave them. Among the many visions he had he told the psychiatrist about the man in her life and that she would loose someone close to her.
Dillon finally convinced the psychiatrist to show him everything in his folder and as he watched the horrifying pictures that lay on the table before him and heard the explanations covering the wrongs he had done, he wanted to know how he could do such things.
During his retrial before the mayor, one of the victims' sister testified that she did not see a changed man and told him that "There was no forgiveness from her or from God" when Dillon asked for forgiveness. At this point the prisoner got one of his headaches that proceeded a vision, fell on the floor, started fighting the guards, and threw himself out the window, so that he could find a way to exonerate himself.
He went to a young women's house, broke in, grabbed a knife, called the psychiatrist (who had a tap on her phone along with 24 hour security) and asked her if she would forgive him if he killed again. The call was traced and the police quietly broke into the young women's house to find her sleeping undisturbed by "Dillon", but totally frightened by being awakened by the FBI. The knife was found propped against the womens' bedroom television.
The psychiatrist received one more call from a church where the victim's sister was a special speaker to a group of people victimized by crime. Dillon asked her to "find him" and he put the phone on the table and hid outside among the parked cars. When the sister went to her car, she was confronted by a recently released prisioner. She had protested his release by saying that men like him didn't spend their time in prison regretting what they had done, they looked for someone to blame.
She was right, that someone to blame was her and the prisoner pulled out a gun to shoot her. Dillon stepped in front of two bullets that pierced his heart and upper chest. The police arrived in time to shoot the prisoner. The sister called for an ambulance and the pyschiatrist came running to Dillon's side. The psychiatrist realized the person close to her was Dillon not her FBI guy. Lying in the arms of the sister he had saved, and after the priest read him his last rights, Dillon once again asked for forgiveness. The sister granted him his last right...

Music from Heaven...

Well, when you listen to music sung by about fifty of the top voices in Christian music (all together)...that is what it sounded like! Music from Heaven. I was on my way out of the house to go to work in our Paper Doll Factory, when I heard some old time hymns being sung. The music was coming from my mother's television and I had to go see who was singing. The singing was Bill Gaither and his Friends! The singers were sitting in pews, as the camera panned each face from the view of the pulpit. Lacy dresses, sheer shawls, and HATS! clothed the women as their happy faces glistened from recent tears of joy. Three basses sat together on the front row and joined their deep voices to the songs. We will certainly be buying the Church in the Wildwood music videos being offered on that program.
There is nothing like the old classics that fill your heart with hope and inspiration. I felt like I had been to church and was sitting in the presence of God himself...as I wiped the tears off my face, I went out to the office with a lighter heart and a spring in my step!

Disclosure Policy...

"Disclosure Policy"